assay

²as·say

verb \a-ˈsā, ˈa-ˌsā\

Definition of ASSAY

transitive verb

1

: try, attempt

2

a : to analyze (as an ore) for one or more specific components b : to judge the worth of : estimate

intransitive verb

: to prove up in an assay

— as·say·er noun

Examples of ASSAY

1. They assayed the gold to determine its purity.
2. <the company assayed a sample of the rock to see if it contained gold in quantities worth mining>

First Known Use of ASSAY

14th century

Related to ASSAY

Synonyms: anatomize, analyze, break down, cut, deconstruct, dissect

Related Words: assess, diagnose, evaluate, examine, inspect, investigate, scrutinize; arrange, assort, catalog (or catalogue), categorize, classify, codify, diagram, enumerate, index, order, schematize, sort, tabulate; divide, reduce, segment, separate, subdivide

Near Antonyms: agglomerate, aggregate, amalgamate, assimilate, coalesce, conglomerate, consolidate, integrate, synthesize, unify

see all synonyms and antonyms

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